mesozoan
[ mez-uh-zoh-uhn, mes-, mee-zuh-, -suh- ]
noun
any member of the phylum Mesozoa.
adjective
of or relating to the mesozoans.
Origin of mesozoan
1Words Nearby mesozoan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for mesozoan
mesozoan
[ mĕz′ə-zō′ən ]
Any of a variety of very small parasitic marine animals of the group Mesozoa. Mesozoans resemble worms and have simple bodies divided into two layers. The outer layer is covered with cilia, and there are no internal organs. The taxonomic status of the Mesozoa is unclear, as some scientists believe the mesozoans to be an ancient and primitive group and others regard them as degenerate forms of more complex animals.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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